ProjectWorld and World Congress for Business Analysts blog seeks to bring together all levels of project management and business analysis expertise, from diverse industries and perspectives, across business groups and information technology. Our goal is build successful collaboration and share content, best practices, techniques, and networking.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Perhaps you are a long way from wearing a 12th Man jersey - even further
away from sitting in a dedicated Richard Sherman cheering section. In fact, you may be a Peyton Manning admirer who wants nothing else to do with
things that go boom! Even so, if you have an ounce of passion for
the game of football, you must acknowledge that Richard Sherman - a key
component of the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom (LOB) - is a defensive force
with which to be reckoned - arguably the best cornerback currently playing in
the National Football League (NFL).

Leading the way for his pass-resistant LOB brothers in 2013, Sherman finished
first in the league with 8 interceptions3.He contributed to the Seahawks' achievement
of fewest passing yards allowed in the NFL2.Amongst a host of other accomplishments,
Sherman closed out the 2013 season by earning his first Super Bowl ring.

Sherman's success is no accident.In
addition to his uncompromising work ethic (with regard to the physical
components of the game), the Stanford graduate includes hours of detailed analysis
in his pre-game regimen.On a special
segment of ESPN's show NFL Turning Point, Dan Patrick shared an interview where
Sherman describes the importance of detailed analysis.

"... I'm a decent athlete, but my
tape study and meticulous attention to detail are what makes me a good ball
player ...”

Sherman went on to describe that his analysis includes calling
cornerbacks from other teams.He
consults with these defensive backs to better understand their personal
experience with receivers he will soon face.

While Sherman places great emphasis on analysis before the game, his ability to
conduct on the field, game-time analysis and make adjustments is equally impressive.In a special appearance on ESPN’s First Take,
Ryan Clark acknowledged this ability.Clark explained that Sherman (and his teammates) studied before the game
to understand what the Denver Broncos were likely to do in the Super Bowl.He also described how they were able to make
assessments (during the game) to “catch on” to some of the audible calls1.

As business analysis practitioners, we certainly appreciate the analytical
style of Richard Sherman and his LOB brothers.In addition to conducting a sort
of pre-game analysis, we too must be able to conduct game-time analysis and
make adjustments, where needed.For
example, it is important for practitioners to understand stakeholders early on.
Whether by talking to the actual stakeholder, consulting with other
practitioners who have worked with them, or some other method, we need to understand
certain things about our stakeholders, including
(but not limited to) the stakeholder's

- View of the problem or opportunity at hand- Expectations of a solution - Anticipated level of involvement with the
initiative

Experience has shown
us that whether a seasoned veteran or a rookie, a practitioner is not likely to
determine everything about a stakeholder before an initiative is in full
swing.Furthermore, things that are true
about a stakeholder in the beginning may actually change during the solution
delivery lifecycle.Like Richard Sherman
and his LOB brothers, we must then be able to conduct game-time analysis.If our stakeholder makes an audible call
(let’s say their expectations change), then we not only need to be in tune with
the stakeholder enough to acknowledge it, but we must also have a mindset
that allows us to properly account for the change in expectations.Properly accounting for the change may or may
not include meeting the expectation during the current increment.The key is to acknowledge
the change and make a conscious decision (regarding if/when the adjusted expectations
can be met).

Do you want to learn
more about the various aspects of analysis?Well, here comes the boom!Join the 2014 Project World & World
Congress for Business Analysts (PW&WCBA) conference in
Seattle, WA.All are welcome – even if
you aren’t wearing a 12th Man jersey!

Monday, February 10, 2014

These days, being a project manager can be a rewarding career,
but without the proper training, you could be underprepared for all the tough
tasks and decisions that can arise in your day. The core of project management
is about setting and meeting business goals and when these goals are broken
down into designated steps, they become projects to be completed. So, managing
these projects requires not only intuition, but also learned project management
skills.

According to Project
Accelerator, every new project manager should follow these six rules in
order to have a successful career:

Communicate. Communication
is key to a successful project completion. Communicating comfortably with
executives, team members, and shareholders is the top-needed skill for PMs. A
PM needs to be able to tailor their message to the various levels of the
organization. Whether it is business or personal, PMs need to take interest in
whatever the executive talks about, which allows them to utilize this information
later. Communication with stakeholders is critical early on in projects,
building trust and gaining invaluable insights on project success.

Speak in Public. Even
though the main role of a PM is to lead the team to a successful project
completion, PMs also need to be proficient in presenting their project ideas.
PMs should be able to put the project information in an engaging format, which
will increase the positive engagement of those impacted by the project. Most
public speakers are not born with this skill, but need to invest in the time and
practice needed to present their message clearly and confidently.

Implement Earned
Value Management Systems (EVMS). Implementing
an EVMS helps PMs keep track of the data to answer questions and keep their
team on track while increasing their credibility with stakeholders. PMs need to
understand how to read the metrics on the EVMS; otherwise, the information will
not be conveyed correctly, affecting the project at all levels.

Find the Right
Resources. Implementing the right resources for effective project management
takes a tremendous amount of work, requiring PMs to get to know people, and tap
into the correct networks for experience and knowledge. Resourcing works hand
in hand with communication, involving conversing and connecting with people
every day. Once project managers build a rapport with clients and stakeholders,
these people will want to help to get the job down within the designated
timeframe and budget.

Acquire the Right
Skills. Applying a balance of technical focus, verbal and written communication
and decision-making skills is imperative to doing this job effectively. These
skills help PMs cross organizational boundaries when forming decisions and
obtaining support.

Hold Regular Meetings.
When taking on new projects, PMs need to make sure to hold regular team
meetings to allow for project information distribution, time line setting,
resources allocation, feedback solicitation, and stakeholder updates.